Saturday 2 November 1667

Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning; at noon home, and after dinner my wife and Willett and I to the King’s playhouse, and there saw “Henry the Fourth:” and contrary to expectation, was pleased in nothing more than in Cartwright’s speaking of Falstaffe’s speech about “What is Honour?” The house full of Parliament-men, it being holyday with them: and it was observable how a gentleman of good habit, sitting just before us, eating of some fruit in the midst of the play, did drop down as dead, being choked; but with much ado Orange Moll did thrust her finger down his throat, and brought him to life again. After the play, we home, and I busy at the office late, and then home to supper and to bed.

8 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Brodrick to Ormond
Written from: [London]
Date: 2 November 1667

On Thursday [29th October] a petition was presented to the House of Commons, from Alderman Barker
.[ http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… ], in the matter of the pretended Adventure [for Lands in Ireland] of Cunningham and Dicke, which petition was referred to the Committee for Grievances. ...

Notice is added of the proceedings for an impeachment of the Earl of Clarendon.
_____

Arlington to Ormond
Written from: Whitehall
Date: 2 November 1667

The Lord Keeper "is of opinion that the seeking to take this man [ Barker ] off, will multiply ... complaints [ in Ireland ] and perhaps increase his, so that the matter ought to be left to its own luck." ..

"I have had shewn to me", continues the writer, "what hath been sent to your Grace of complaints against yourself, by him that sent them. But, for all I can yet learn, there is but little ground for you to apprehend any noise upon them."

http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…

nix  •  Link

Henry IV, pt. 1, Act 5,scene i

FALSTAFF
Hal, if thou see me down in the battle and bestride
me, so; 'tis a point of friendship.

PRINCE HENRY
Nothing but a colossus can do thee that friendship.
Say thy prayers, and farewell.

FALSTAFF
I would 'twere bed-time, Hal, and all well.

PRINCE HENRY
Why, thou owest God a death.

Exit PRINCE HENRY

FALSTAFF
'Tis not due yet; I would be loath to pay him before
his day. What need I be so forward with him that
calls not on me? Well, 'tis no matter; honour pricks
me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I
come on? how then? Can honour set to a leg? no: or
an arm? no: or take away the grief of a wound? no.
Honour hath no skill in surgery, then? no. What is
honour? a word. What is in that word honour? what
is that honour? air. A trim reckoning! Who hath it?
he that died o' Wednesday. Doth he feel it? no.
Doth he hear it? no. 'Tis insensible, then. Yea,
to the dead. But will it not live with the living?
no. Why? detraction will not suffer it. Therefore
I'll none of it. Honour is a mere scutcheon: and so
ends my catechism.

Exit

Paul Chapin  •  Link

Dr. Heimlich, call your office.

Jesse  •  Link

" Orange Moll did thrust ..."

Who saves the man's life but a (former) 'working girl' who's now a working girl who's saving her customer's life - altruistically or out of a business sense? - and who, alone in the crowd, has the knowlege, skills and presence of mind to take immediate action. Could you make this up?

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"was pleased in nothing more than in Cartwright’s speaking of Falstaffe’s speech about “What is Honour?” "

Was it the speech itself (see above, thanks, nix) or Cartwright's delivery? I wonder. And, if the former, what's Pepys's take-away from it given what he faces?

nix  •  Link

Cartwright's delivery no doubt played to the audience's familiarity and disgust with the dishonorable goings on in Court and Parliament. "Who hath it? he that died o’ Wednesday" might have put Samuel in mind of Sir William Batten, dead less than a month and already thrown under the bus in the House (see entry of 10/30).

FJA  •  Link

Re: Cartwright's speaking of Falstaffe's speech...

Someone who knows how (I don't) ought to amend the Wikipedia article to reference Sam's favorable review and to include H4 among Cartwright the younger's notable resume.

Second Reading

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